Undershot baller



'Aug. 7, 1956 s T ET AL UNDERSHOT BALLER 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

Filed May 16, 1952 INVENTORS HHEVEY M. JM/Tf/d BY W/LL/HM HSHCEOFT Aug. 7, 1956 H. M. SMITH ET AL 2,757,876

UNDERSHOT BALLER Filed May 16. 1952 2 Sheeis-Sheet 2 INVENTORS HHEVf) M. SM/Th' W/L L lflM HSHCEOFT A Troe lY' Y6 United tates Patent."

UNDERSHOT BALLER Harvey M. Smith and William Ashcroft, Hamilton, ntario, Canada, assignors to The Warner & Swasey Company, Cleveland, Ohio Application May 16, 1952, Serial No. 288,098 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-544) This invention relates to the compacting of textile fibers and, more particularly, to a method of and apparatus for balling sliver strands.

An object of the invention is the formation of a compact ball of textile fiber strands of uniform density.

An object of the invention is the achievement of a uinform tension in fiber strands while balling the strands.

A further object of the invention is the formation of a ball of textile fibers and incorporating a false twist in the strands.

It is known in the textile arts to compact fiber strands, such as e. g. sliver, for transportation between operations and for storage, by forming the strands into a cylindrical ball. The ball is formed by feeding the strand onto a cylindrical form along a course varying between the ends of the form, each course determining a layer on the ball. A known form of apparatus for forming such a ball includes an arrangement whereby the outer surface of the ball is maintained in constant frictional engagement with the outer surface of a drive drum. By rotating the drive drum at a constant speed, the periphery of the ball is driven at a constant speed whatever the size thereof, thus facilitating the feeding of the sliver strand.

The present invention is concerned with a novel and improved method of and apparatus for the formation of textile strands into balls. In accordance with the method, the strand is fed to the surface of the ball along courses varying between the ends of the ball while simultaneously twisting the strand in alternate directions. In another aspect, the novel method comprises feeding the strands along the juncture of ball and the drive drum in apparatus of the type described above. Apparatus for the practice of the method includes a strand guide and delivery arrangement for tensioning the strand and feeding the strand to the surface of the ball. The guide and delivery members are reciprocable along the length of the ball to feed the strands in courses, while maintaining a fixed attitude relative to the ball for facilitating a uniform tensioning of the strand. A rotatable delivery member is provided to impart a twist to the strand, the direction of rotation being successively reversed to impart alternate directions of twist to the strand.

It is a feature of the invention that the alternate twists imparted to the fiber strand during the balling process form a false twist and enable the removal of the strand from the ball without twists of any kind.

A further feature of the invention is a great reduction in wear upon strand guide elements such as is normally caused by the abrasive effect of the fibers.

The invention together with further objects, features and advantages thereof will be more readily understood from a consideration of the following detailed specification and claims taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a balling machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation view taken in the direction 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the direction 33 of Fig. 2 and showingparticularly the drive apparatus of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken in the direction the present invention. The balling machine comprises a plurality of balling sections, the figures illustrating a typi cal section together with the associated drive and control apparatus therefor. The remaining sections are similar to that shown and any suitable number may be employed in a single machine depending upon the intended manner of use. The balling machine 10 comprises a frame 11 having a bottom member 12, a rear member 13 and an end member 14. A main drive shaft 15 is journalled in a flange 16 which is supported by the end member 14 of the frame. The main drive shaft 15 extends transversely across the balling machine and carries a series of cylindrical drive drums such as the drum 17, one for each balling section. The drive shaft 15 also energizes a guide apparatus reciprocating mechanism to be subsequently described in detail, through a drive assembly designated generally at 18.

The main drive shaft 15 is driven by a sprocket 19 through a suitable drive means such as a gear train 20. The sprocket 19 may preferably be connected to and driven in synchronism with the apparatus with which the balling machine is to be associated such as, e. g. a pin drafter, so that the balling process may proceed at a. prop er rate. v

The sliver strands are formed into a ball upon a cylin-- drical form 21 carried by a balling head 22. The balling; head 22 comprises a shaft 23 carried or mounted for rota-- tion upon an arm 24. The arm 24 is supported by a bracket 25 carried by the bottom member 12 of the frame 11 and pivoted with respect thereto upon a stationary shaft 26. Suitable frictional clutch means between the shaft 26 and the arm 24 are provided located in a housing 27 for resisting upward rocking movement of the arm 24 and thus maintaining a constant force on said arm for urging a ball into contact with the surface of the drum The drive drum 17 imparts a rotational force to the ball as it is formed upon the cylindrical member 21. It will be seen that, since the driving force is imparted to the periphery of the ball and since the drum 17 is driven at a constant speed by the shaft 15, the periphery of the ball will be driven at a constant speed whatever the radial size thereof. p

In accordance with the invention, there is provided an apparatus for feeding sliver strands to the surface of the ball at the juncture of the ball and the drive drum, the point of feed varying between the ends of the ball, and for imparting alternate twists to the strands as they are fed to the ball. The apparatus comprises a sliver guide means including a sliver guide 28 for receiving the sliver, and a bar 29 which serves as a tensioning means for the sliver. A sliver is transmitted from the bar 29 to the surface of the ball by a sliver delivery means comprising an annular member 30. The trumpet 28 has a relatively enlarged throat portion 31 adapted to receive sliver strands and has the interior thereof smoothly rounded so as not to cause undue breakage or wear upon the sliver. An

arcuate interior portion, shown by the dotted line designated at 32, guides the sliver in a smooth arcuate path from the throat of the trumpet to the lower end thereof Patented Aug. 7, 1956..

whereupon the sliver is passed in a generally helical path about the bar 29. The bar 29 is relatively elongated and is formed with a smooth polished outer surface for facilitating the passage of the sliver thereover. The path of the strands of sliv'e'r' in a coil about the' bar 29 serves to provide a smooth change in tension from the feed point at the juncture of the ball and the drive drum to the throat of the trumpet.

An annular boss 33 is mounted at the end of the bar 29 and is formed with a bearing portion 34 for the annular delivery member The member 3t? formed with a body portion 35 which is fitted for rotation in the bearing portion 34 while an end portion 36 serves as a constraint against longitudinal motion and includes an annular groove 37. The annular member 30 is formed with an opening 38 generally concentric with the axis of rotation thereof, extending through the member, and

having a throat 39' to facilitate entrance of the sliver strand into the opening 38. A pin 40 is disposed across the opening 38 and serves as a barrier in the straight path of movement of the sliver to form an eccentric path for the sliver strands between the throat 35$ and the feed end 41 of the opening. Thus, upon rotation of the member while the sliver strands are being fed through the member and over the barrier, a twist will be imparted to the strand by reason of the eccentric disposition of the path of the strand with respect to the axis of rotation of the member 30. s

The ball is formed along the length of the cylindrical form 21 by reciprocation of the sliver guide and delivery elements comprising the sliver guide 23, the bar 29 and the delivery member 30 along the length of the form. To this end, these members are supported upon a shaft 42 by means of a bracket 43 which is mounted upon a cylindrical sleeve 44. The sleeve 44 extends along the length of the shaft 42 and serves as a mounting means for the sliver guide and delivery elements associated with the several balling sections for simultaneous reciprocation of these elements.

The cylindrical sleeve 44 is actuated by a reciprocating apparatus 45 including a mangle rack 46 and a pinion 47. As is shown particularly in Fig. 3, the pinion 47 is driven from the drive shaft 15 by the bevel gears 48 and 49 which form components of the drive apparatus 18. The shaft 50 which connects the bevel gear 49 with the pinion 47 is supported from the rear member 13 of the frame by a bearing 51. The rotation of the pinion 47 is transformed into a reciprocating motion by the mangle rack 46 in a well-known fashion, the reciprocating motion being imparted from the rack 46 to the cylindrical sleeve 44 by an arm 52. Thus, the feed point for the sliver strands is reciprocated along the length of the cylindrical form 21, each traverse of the delivery member determining a course of feed along the length of the form and hence a helically wound layer on the ball.

The delivery member is rotated in a reversing fashion in synchronism with the reciprocation of the member along the length of the ball. To this end, a straight strip of material 53 is mounted upon the back member 13 by means of a suitably formed piece 54 and parallel to the shaft 42. The strip 53 has a cross section similar to that of the annular groove 37 and is formed of rubber or belt-like material having sutficient friction to prevent slippage of the surface of the member 30 relative to the surface of the strip. Upon reciprocation of the delivery member 30 along the shaft 42, the engagement of the strip 53 in the groove 37 thus serves to impart a rcversing rotation to that member, the direction of rotation being determined by the direction of translation thereof.

In operation, the sliver strands are drawn into the throat 31 of the sliver guide 28 at relatively low or no tension. The progression of the strand through the trumpet and about the bar 29 and through the delivery member 30 serves to impart gradually increasing tension to the strand until the desired appropriate tension is reached at the surface of the ball. The constant peripheral speed of the ball allows a constant rate of feed together with a proper maintenance of tension. The reciprocation of the guide members and the delivery member along the shaft 42 produces a uniform course of feed along the length of the cylindrical form 21, the direction of feed of each successive course being reversed with respect to the direction of feed of the previous course. Simultaneously therewith, the alternate rotations of the feed delivery member 30 imparts reversed directions of twist to the strand upon successive courses along the length of the ball. As a result, the sliver is helically wound on the member 21 to form a ball. The ball is compactly and tensely formed and the twists incorporated in the sliver are false twists which disappear upon unwinding of the ball.

It is to be understood that the practice of the invention is not limited to arrangements whereby the reversal of direction of twist occurs in successive layers or courses, but may take place at arbitrary intervals.

It will be seen that, by feeding the sliver strand along the line of contact of the ball and the drum 17, a fixed attitude of the delivery element 30 and of the sliver guide 23 is made possible. As a result thereof, the path followed by the sliver strand remains constant, so that the tension imparted to the sliver strand may be fixed and controlled to form a compactly and tensely wound uniform ball. It has been found that this aspect of the invention is of great practical importance and that wear of the trumpet element 28 is greatly reduced as compared with the arrangements of the prior art.

It is to be understood that the specific nature of the present disclosure is not intended to be restrictive or confining and that various rearrangements of parts and modifications of design may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a balling apparatus, a frame member, sliver guide means comprising a trumpet and an elongated member associated therewith, the elongated member receiving sliver from the trumpet and providing a curved path for the sliver, sliver delivery means associated with said guide means comprising a first annular member supported by said elongated member, a second annular member mounted within said first annular member for rotation with respect thereto, said second annular member including an opening defining a passage for the sliver and a piece disposed across said opening for deflecting the sliver and imparting a twist thereto upon rotation of the annular memher, support means for said guide means and said delivery means for permitting reciprocation thereof, means for reciprocating said guide means and said delivery means, and means for imparting reverse rotations to the second annular member corresponding to the reciprocations thereof.

2. In a balling apparatus for textile strands, a drive drum, a ball support parallel to the drive drum including means to maintain the ball in contact with the drum to be driven thereby, strand guide means comprising a trumpet and an elongated member associated therewith,

the elongated member receiving strand from the trumpet and providing a constraining path for the strand, and strand delivery means associated with said guide means comprising a first annular member supported by said elongated member, a second annular member mounted within said first annular member for rotation with respect thereto, said second annular member including an opening defining a passage for the strand, fixed means in the passage of the said second annular member providing a friction surface eccentric to the axis of rotation thereof, means to rotate said second annular member and means to reciprocate said strand delivery means in a path between the drive drum and the ball whereby the strand is pulled through said passage and over said friction surface by the winding of the strand 011 the ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Vienneau July 25, 1933 Reisinger Mar. 4, 1941 Hill Jan. 20, 1942 Abbott Nov. 16, 1943 Wildbose Mar. 6, 1945 West June 10, 1952 Place Apr. 6, 1954 

